Maritime Vessels Directory

British commandos boarded and intercepted a sanctioned Russian shadow fleet oil tanker in the Channel on Sunday, leading for the first time an operation to disrupt the oil revenue that helps fund Russia's war in Ukraine.The vessel Smyrtos, sailing under a Cameroonian flag, was boarded by Royal Marine Commandos and National Crime Agency (NCA) officials in the early hours on Sunday, with support from Chinook helicopters and other aircraft, a frigate and a minehunter."This successful operation delivers yet another blow to Russia and reminds those fuelling Putin's war in Ukraine that we will not let them hide," Prime Minister Keir Starmer said in a post on X.

BRIN Taps Shipbuilder PIRIOU for Research Vessel Pair

4 days ago

The “Badan Riset dan Inovasi Nasional” (BRIN), Indonesia’s national agency for research and innovation, has commissioned the French shipbuilder PIRIOU to design and build two research vessels:a multimission offshore hydro-oceanographic vessel (ORV – Ocean Going Research Vessel) and a coastal research vessel (CRV – Coastal Research Vessel).The order was signed on June 11, 2026 during a ceremony held in Indonesia, attended by representatives of BRIN, Stéphane BURGAUD, PIRIOU’s Commercial Director, and the project’s institutional partners. Both vessels will be built by PIRIOU VIETNAM, the Group’s industrial subsidiary in Southeast Asia.

From Oil Importer to Export Leader: US Tops Global Oil Shipments

5 days ago

The United States has become the world's largest oil exporter, upending a decades-old order long dominated by Saudi Arabia and Russia, a shift that tightens American companies' grip on energy markets as Washington's war with Iran reshapes global energy trade.America's ascendancy to the top spot marks a stunning reversal for a country that was dependent on Middle Eastern oil for decades and suffered from an oil embargo imposed by some OPEC members in 1973 to retaliate against U.S. support for Israel.U.S. fortunes began to change after 2010, when oil and gas output from its shale formations soared, first making it the world's top gas and then the world's top oil producer.With the U.S.

Hormuz Reopening Could Trigger OPEC’s Next Big Challenge

5 days ago

Saudi Arabia and neighbouring Gulf producers will cheer the eventual reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, but the ensuing flood of oil risks eroding OPEC’s already fragile grip on the market.The Iran war and the closure of the vital waterway – through which nearly a fifth of the world’s oil and gas flowed before the conflict – have sharply diminished output from the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and moved the industry’s centre of gravity away from the Middle East.Riyadh’s options for countering these changes are limited.It remains far from clear when the strait will reopen or what conditions will look like when it does. While U.S.

Spot Oil Premiums Fall After US-Iran Deal

55 minutes ago

Spot premiums for crude and some refined products in Asia, Europe and Africa have fallen back following a U.S.-Iran deal to end the Middle East conflict, though caution about how soon normal shipping can resume is providing a floor for oil markets.Prices tumbled across the board on Monday after U.S. President Donald Trump said a preliminary agreement had been signed. Details, however, have not been made public and both the U.S. and Iran said a permanent truce is yet to be negotiated.Middle East crude benchmark Dubai's premium to swaps returned to pre-war levels of $2.06 per barrel on Monday. That compares with an all-time high of more than $60 in March after the war disrupted supplies.

Maritime Reporter and Engineering News (June 2026)